‘Look before locking' launches

Updated 11:53 pm, Monday, June 4, 2012

Photo: Darren Abate, Darren Abate/Express-News

Image 1of/2

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 2

Cindy Quinn displays a photo of her daughter, who died of heatstroke, during a press conference to raise awareness and help prevent child tragedies from heatstroke, Monday, June 4, 2012, at Milam Park in San Antonio.

Cindy Quinn displays a photo of her daughter, who died of heatstroke, during a press conference to raise awareness and help prevent child tragedies from heatstroke, Monday, June 4, 2012, at Milam Park in San

An electronic display shows the exterior temperature and interior temperature of a vehicle that is parked in the sun with its windows up, Monday, June 4, 2012, at Milam Park in San Antonio.

An electronic display shows the exterior temperature and interior temperature of a vehicle that is parked in the sun with its windows up, Monday, June 4, 2012, at Milam Park in San Antonio.

Photo: Darren Abate, Darren Abate/Express-News

‘Look before locking' launches

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

It's been a year since 1-year-old Sophia Rayne Cavaliero died of heat stroke after she was accidentally left in her father's pickup, a horrifying accident that thrust her parents into a frenzy of advocacy.

Now pregnant with twin girls who will bear their late sister's middle name, Kristie Reeves-Cavaliero's fervor to minimize the number of children who die of heat stroke hasn't slowed down one bit.

Since her husband forgot their daughter in his truck, the Austin couple has been raising awareness to help prevent other accidental child heat deaths.

“This tragedy has redefined my life,” she said at a Monday news conference. “God left me here for a reason. This is a deadly problem that no one thinks can happen to them, but it does. It happened to us.”

This year, three children in the U.S. — one in Sugar Land, one in the state of Missouri and another in the state of Montana — have died after being left in a hot car, according to the San Francisco State University's Department of Geosciences. Of the 33 hyperthermia child deaths in 2011, 13 took place in Texas.

Soon after Sophia's death, her parents created Ray Ray's Pledge, which calls on day care centers to call parents if the child doesn't show up to school by an agreed-upon time. The pledge has gained traction nationwide in schools and day cares in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Connecticut and Arizona.

Strickland said last year, interested parties got together to talk about ways to prevent child heat stroke deaths. The result: the “Where's baby? Look before you lock,” campaign, recently unveiled.

“We needed a national effort,” Strickland said. “One fatality is too many, and hopefully hearing from these strong female role models will encourage others to do the right thing and spare themselves from this unspeakable tragedy.”

Humphreys said even if you aren't a parent, lock the doors of your vehicle to keep any wandering children from crawling inside. On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach fatal levels in just 10 minutes, the NHTSA said.

And if you see a child trapped inside a vehicle, do something, he urged, citing an incident last month in San Marcos in which a mother was arrested after a bystander heard her baby crying, then reached inside a van and unlocked the door to free the child.

“That person's a hero,” Humphreys said. “Take action if you see something, and call 911.”